Maintaining Culture and Profits When Faced With Adversity

Business is always shifting. Economic trends change, technology evolves, and generational workforces move in and out. The one thing companies can always be sure of is adversity.

So how do companies manage all the chaos? With today’s supply chain issues, more people exiting the workforce than ever before, and the war for talent at an all-time high, how do business leaders possibly keep up with company culture and better yet, ensure they’re making a profit?

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One Tool For Improving Culture and Profits

The Great Game of Business has one simple tool to steer progress in both of those areas. MiniGames. What the heck is a MiniGame? Great question! MiniGames are simply short-term, usually 90-day challenges designed to correct company behaviors or weaknesses.

For example, say a manufacturing company wants to reduce costs. They KNOW they can lower costs for several components they regularly purchase for business. What if that manufacturing company decided to rally its employees around lowering those costs? Say, If an employee could find a better deal on one of those components and could save the company $50,000 in parts over the course of one year with that part alone. What if the company gave that employee a percentage cut from those cost savings?? Wouldn’t that motivate you to start looking around for more affordable components? Of course it would!

One SRC/Great Game™ company did just that. Through that one MiniGame, they saved a total of $1,700,000!! MiniGames create awareness and ownership of problems. If employees are never made aware of issues the company is facing, they’re never given the opportunity to help correct them.

But what do MiniGames do for culture?

They build teams, they create a culture where employees get used to working together AND winning together. They create engagement by showing employees how much of an impact their day-to-day actions can have on the company. That’s why Great Game companies participate in these fun challenges every single year. To help drive profits AND company culture.

The Great Game of Business Short-Term Challenge Framework

So, what does a “MiniGame” look like and how do you build one of these challenges for your own company? We’ve included an example put together by SRC Logistics to serve as a reference for building a MiniGame. 

Outcome of this MiniGame: A four-member customer service team made 4,010 outbound calls and collected 244 short blocks, resulting in $110K in revenue.

MiniGame Title: Up and Outbound—a PIP Short Block MiniGame 

1. Set The Objective: The targeted problem or opportunity.

The company is low on PIP short blocks and needs more of them.

2. Set The Improvement Goal: X to Y by when.

To make 4,000 outbound calls in three months, focusing on getting a specific part from dealers they were short on—PIP short blocks.

3. Estimate the Benefit: The potential impact/return.

Capturing PIP short blocks on dealer core returns—getting more of this item to meet their demand of remanufactured short block engines. 

4. Identify the Players: Who can impact the game?

The customer service team

5. Determine the Time Frame: Long enough to accomplish the goal/change behavior.

90 days

6. Create a Theme: Be creative!

Dig Dug video game

7. Build a Scoreboard, and Establish a Huddle Rhythm: Simple and easy to understand, reviewed often.

There Are 3 More Steps!

There are 3 more steps! Download the MiniGame Template and Checklist for a complete list of MiniGame steps and recommended tips and tricks for putting on a successful MiniGame.

Want more examples of companies using short-term challenges to boost company culture and profits?

Purchase the MiniGame Toolkit below for a video course with Great Game™ Executive Trainer, Michele Bridges. Walk through best practices for MiniGame creation and gain access to more MIniGame examples from Great Game companies.

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